#10 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer industry is actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.

#11 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28 percent of all U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented only 11.5 percent.

#12 The television manufacturing industry began in the United States. So how many televisions are manufactured in the United States today? According to Princeton University economist Alan S. Blinder, the grand total is zero.

#13 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time that less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.

#14 Back in 1980, the United States imported approximately 37 percent of the oil that we use. Now we import nearly 60 percent of the oil that we use.

#15 The U.S. trade deficit is running about 40 or 50 billion dollars a month in 2010. That means that by the end of the year approximately half a trillion dollars (or more) will have left the United States for good.

#17 Today, the United States spends approximately $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1 that China spends on goods from the United States.

#18 According to a new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, if the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to increase at its current rate, the U.S. economy will lose over half a million jobs this year alone.

As I stood arm in arm with Ms.Annie Chambers Caddell in front of her Summerville, South Carolina home,donned in the uniform of the Southern soldier,and proudly with the Southern Cross in hand on Saturday morning, October 16, 2010, as a host of some of her Black neighbors and those who came to support them marched past in what was deemed a protest march against Ms. Cadell's posting of the Confederate Battle Flag on her porch.

I began in earnest to ponder the question posed to me by Mr. Rodney Combs of Noble Oklahoma in a letter dated October 4, 2010. Mr Combs would ask, why would I and a few Blacks who are seen with the Confederate Flag reconcile the slavery aspect of the Confederacy? I could only think of to Mr. Combs; "first and foremost with a great deal of pride because we are Southern". And like our ancestors with the knowledge that the whole world was complicit in the economic institution of slavery, and if you were lucky enough to have your ancestors transported from the shores of West Africa out of the reaches of the likes of African King Gelele who pillaged, raped, murdered and cannibalized the villages of your ancestors , sold them into slavery,to the region of America called the South; then you were one of God's luckiest African children albeit the price of human suffering of slavery was staggering.

As I stood there with my Southern family listening to the vulgarity and insults being hurled my way, I could think what my mama or dad might say to me ; "think like Jesus, give them love and remember all those Africans who earned a place of honor and dignity under the Flag you bear,stand up and speak for those dry bones, and see Ms, Caddell as one of those women that your ancestors stayed home and help protect as the men were away".

And Mr. Comb's , if you read about the work of the honorable men of the great Commonwealth of Virginia's Legislature where the economic institution of slavery began by the actions of Mr. Anthony Johnson , a free Black man, and how they were trying to end the economic institution of slavery with some dignity for the Africans by providing them with shelter, land, money and training to provide for themselves and their families right up to the day that Lincoln illegally gathered and sent armed forces to the revenue collecting agency at Fort Sumter; you will find the essence of the Southern thought on ending slavery.

It mattered not on this day the insults, vulgarity and threats hurled my way, I would ask my Father in Heaven to forgive them for dishonoring the memory of the bonds of love and affection between Southern Black and White that transcended the institution of slavery. The average Black Confederate understood his duty as God gave him the light to do it. He performed his duty without expectation of reward or promise of freedom, but knew that if he worked and struggled and fought hard for the Confederate cause as a loyal subject, the White people of the South would do right by him. Southern White folks accepted the fact of freedom and were prepared to make provision for the new freedman within the limits of an impoverished and devastated South. However, the so called victors would have none of this, and sent their Northern born school teachers south, established the public school system, and the so called Freedman"s Bureau and began in earnest to try and separate the White man and Black man of the South. This Northern modus operandi continues to this very day, utilizing the Southern Black man as their weapon of choice against Southern White folks with distorted history and promises broken with no intent to fill.I would suggest that one try and reconcile the aspect of slavery of the entire civilized world that participated in it, and I as a Southern man will continue to thank God that my Great GREAT GRANDMOTHER Hettie Edgerton made her way from the shores of West Africa (where an African king cut off the head of her young brother, and drank his blood and ate his arm, and called it the King's fetish),to the Honorable Doctor T.R. Edgerton family of Rutherfordton County, North Carolina. And I HK Edgerton shall continue to make my stand in Dixieland for all my Southern family who fought and died under the Southern Cross for the life of the Constitutional Republic that I needed if I were ever to understand what it meant to be free in America. God bless you Mr. Combs for asking.

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. I greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue.

The DREAM Act (S. 729) was introduced on March 26, 2009 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Similar bills have been introduced during previous Congresses, but never garnered enough support to pass.

The DREAM Act would provide illegal immigrants who are students with a path to citizenship. Under the DREAM Act, these students could receive conditional permanent residency if they meet certain criteria, including: entering the United States before age 16; living in the United States for at least five continuous years immediately before the bill becomes effective; graduating from high school or gaining admission into an institute of higher education; having "good moral character;" and being younger than 35 when the bill becomes effective. Students must also demonstrate that they are not inadmissible to the country and are not under final order for deportation or removal. After a six year period of conditional permanent residency, these individuals could then apply for citizenship if they continued to demonstrate "good moral character," continued to live in the United States, and completed at least two years of higher education or served at least two years in the military.

Like you, I oppose the DREAM Act and amnesty. While I am open to considering some of the provisions of the DREAM Act in the context of comprehensive immigration reform, I do not support this bill as a stand-alone measure. I strongly believe that the United States must take the necessary steps to fix the way we handle illegal immigration, and I am committed to achieving practical, bipartisan, comprehensive reform that will protect taxpayers and address the problem of illegal immigration at its core. We must strengthen our borders, crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, and shut down the underground economy. With our economy in peril, it is more important than ever to ensure that we are protecting the jobs, wages and working conditions of American workers.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns.

"The net income was $2.17 billion, but the reserves were reduced by $1.99 billion. That is, virtually all of the alleged 'profit' was not earned cash, it was reduced provisioning."========Smoke and mirrors at its finest.

NOT FITTING THE NARRATIVE: Reader Andrew Medina sends this: “Latino Tea Partiers? In my country? It’s more likely than you think. I should note that this sign sits in a Latino neighborhood right next to a Latino tire and muffler shop and about quarter mile away from a La Michoacana.”

In the wake of the League’s 17th annual national conference, we believe it is time to restate the obvious for those who still don’t “get it” yet: the US government in DC is an organized criminal enterprise. Despite being founded on the “principle” of limited government, it has its tentacles in virtually every aspect of our lives all over our beloved Southland. It has become Godless and is rapidly approaching bankruptcy. Something must be done quickly to free us from this monster.

Don’t tell us to wait until the November elections—the GOP is not our savior. Rather, it is only the other side of a counterfeit coin. After all, who started this corrupt bailout business in September 2008 in the first place? Obama was merely a candidate at the time, though he has certainly continued to advance the Bush policies of allowing the banksters to continue their crime spree unabated.

The “Tea Party”, while showing some promise in the beginning, is now being predictably absorbed by status quo Republican politicians. These are people who think reducing government spending by a meager 1-3% is acceptable, but they aren’t even serious about accomplishing that much. It is all a ruse to get re-elected, and unfortunately the bulk of “conservative” America will fall for it yet again.

The Republican Party’s “Pledge to America” is another fraud that is carefully written not to set measurable goals or bind the Republicans to any sort of consequences if (or more accurately, when) they fail to fulfill their promises. A major GOP victory in November will be a devastating setback because conservative voters will think they have “won.” Consequently, they will continue to serve the Federal regime while they wait in vain for their anointed Republicans to bring some kind of meaningful reform to Washington, D.C. Even if today’s Republicans were to faithfully deliver on every single principle mentioned in their “pledge," it would only be a fraction of what needs to done. It would take many decades of sweeping electoral victories in both houses of Congress and the presidency to undo the monstrosity that has been created over a period of 150 years in D.C. Oh, and let’s not forget that all of this will also require the blessing of the US Supreme Court. These are events, of course, that will never occur in the current political system.

Finally, the mainstream Republican Party has no interest whatsoever in curbing the insatiable appetite of the United States government to occupy and control other nations. Irrational fear of the Islamic terror threat has prompted far too many Americans to endorse a perpetual military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, with the prospect of war with Iran and possibly Pakistan on the horizon as well. The magnitude of resources consumed by the war machine that is the US military will continue to drag down our economy; yet among all the outrage within the Tea Party and its supporters about government spending, we hear very little about reducing the US military presence in foreign lands.

We at the League of the South believe all peoples are entitled to the right of self-determination - even those who do not share our Southern cultural values. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan should be free to decide for themselves what government they will have, just as the people in Dixie have the same God-given right. This is why we advocate peaceful separation from the United States government. In a free and independent South, although we would pity other Americans who remained subjects of the United States government, we would not set out to make enemies of them.

If we don’t begin thinking and acting “outside the box,” the establishment elite will continue to loot us with impunity and violate our rights at every turn. Indeed, their greed (with the assistance of our inaction and even complicity) has essentially destroyed our economy. Instead of trying once again to reform that which cannot be reformed (those who most need reforming control all meaningful avenues of reform), we need simply to leave DC behind. There is even less reason to “save the Union” today than there was 150 years ago when our ancestors fought to be free from it.

Yes, we’re talking about Southern independence NOW! The sooner we get off this sinking ship, the better. The policies conducted by the ruling elite in Washington, D.C. can only end in utter collapse, chaos, and extreme hardship on our future generations. Independence achieved now, although sure to be challenging and not without sacrifices, is infinitely preferable to the chaos that will ensue as the US inevitably self-destructs. We are confident that another bid for Southern independence in our own day will be more widely supported by other nations than it was in 1861. This international support will make it much more difficult for the United States to use military force to thwart our independence. The League of the South does not seek to exact revenge on the United States government in any way, and we seek independence that is free of bloodshed. Just like President Jefferson Davis said in 1861, “All we ask is to be let alone”.

If Southern independence sounds like a good idea to you, then help us. You can start by going to our website, www.dixienet.org, and signing the online petition entitled “States Rights, Secession, and Big Government.” Leave your address so we can contact you. Also, we are preparing another petition that will be presented to the people of the Southern States face-to-face. It calls for immediate secession and independence by our various State governments. We will have it available soon, and it will be announced (and probably downloadable) on the website. We will need your help in acquiring signatures.

Moreover, we need you to join the League of the South. If you’re reading this and are not already a member, please join today. If you were once a member but let your membership slide, please re-join. If you are a member in good standing, then recruit your family and friends into our organization. We need numbers along with hardworking hands and minds.

We also need people who are not afraid to hear the truth and to proclaim it; that Southern independence is the only way short of a direct miracle from the Lord that we can save the South for future generations. I want my children and grandchildren to live free and prosperous in a free South. I’ll bet you feel the same way about yours. Let’s make it happen together right now! Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

"Here's a quick and dirty synopsis of what is going on in the US mortgage industry from everything I've read. It's an early read of the situation, and it comes with the usual caveat "I am not a lawyer," but I think it explains why many, if not most, mortgages in the US are potentially worthless scraps of paper.

The reason I spent the time to explain this, is that this could be one of the factors (along with currency wars and sovereign defaults) driving a massive financial crisis over the next year or so.

THE SHIP OF STATE

"David Walker was in a ship well ahead of the US Titanic crossing the Atlantic. He saw the dangerous icebergs floating in the ocean. He sent a message to the Captains (Bush, Obama) and Executive Officers (Greenspan, Bernanke, Paulson, Geithner) of the US Titianic that there was danger ahead. They should have reduced speed and doubled the lookouts. Instead they listened to the Managing Director of the cruise line (Wall Street) and increased speed. The US Titanic was unsinkable. When the inevitable collision with the iceberg occurred, those in command chose to disbelieve the possibility that the mighty ship could sink. The nearest ship was four hours away. If the US Titanic had stopped immediately after striking the iceberg, it would have remained afloat until the rescue ship arrived. Instead, the masters of the ship chose to keep going as the compartments below the surface continued to fill with water. Reputation and hubris drove them to take these actions."

"Getting a degree used to be a stepping stone to limitless career opportunities. Now it's more of a hiatus from living under your parents' roof.

Stubbornly high unemployment -- nearly 15% for those ages 20-24 -- has made finding a job nearly impossible. And without a job, there's nowhere for these young adults to go but back to their old bedrooms, curfews and chore charts. Meet the boomerangers."

Remembrance

To die for one’s country is not only an act of bravery, it is THE act of bravery. For soldiers, it is just an extension of their military career, a part of their duty. As leaders have asked their soldiers to sacrifice themselves for the good of the society, it is only right for leaders to go through the same motion. They should practice what they have preached.

As war is seen as a noble act, tu sat serves as redemption in case of defeat. It is also a way to tell the enemy: “You might have won the battle/war but you don’t deserve to win because you don’t have the chinh nghia (just cause).” And it is not only just cause: it is the moral belief that the cause they are fighting for deserves their total sacrifice. Continues below

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Core Creek Militia

==============================My sixth great grandfather, his wife, and five of his six children were killed in battle with the Tuscarora Indians at Core Creek, NC.

The Seven Blackbirds

==============================My third great grandfather was an Ensign in the Revolutionary War, and saved his unit's flag after being wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. He was also at Kingston (Kinston), Wilmington, Charleston, Two Sisters and Augusta. He was at the defeat at Brier Creek and also Bee Creek.

Requiem Aeternam -
Eternal Rest Grant unto Them
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My second great grandfather was killed in action on May 3, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
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My great grandfather and great uncle knew all the men in the "Civil War Requiem" video as they were part of the 53rd NC which was the sole unit defending Fort Mahone. (Fort Mahone was named "Fort Damnation" by the Yankees) *Handpicked men of the 53rd (My great grandfather was one of these) made the final, night assault at Petersburg in an attempt to break Grant's line. This was against Fort Stedman which was a few miles to the slight northeast. They initially succeeded, but reinforcements drove them back. This video is made from photographs which were taken the day after the 53rd evacuated the lines the night before to begin the retreat to Appomattox. I have many more pictures taken by the same photographer, one of these shows a 14 year old boy and the other is the famous picture of the blond, handsome soldier with his musket.
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*General Gordon promised the men a gold medal and 30 days leave if they accomplished their task and many years after the War my great grandfather wrote General Gordon, who was then governor of Georgia about this incident. They exchanged several letters which I have framed. See first link below.
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*The Attack On Fort Stedman
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"His Colored Friends"
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Lee's Surrender
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My Black NC Kinfolks
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Punished For Being Caught!

Great Grandfather Koonce

He was a drummer boy in the WBTS, survived the War only to die a few years later. He was caught in an ice storm on his way home, but instead of seeking shelter, continued on his horse until the end. His clothes had to be cut off and he died a few days later.